Only third of gout sufferers receiving treatment

Rates of gout—a type of painful, inflammatory arthritis—are substantial in the U.S., but only a third of those suffering are receiving treatment to reduce the buildup of uric acid crystals causing their symptoms, according to a new study.

First author Michael Chen-Xu, MPH ’18, and colleagues studied data from 26,355 adults collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2016. They found that gout is prevalent in 3.9% of the U.S. population, with higher percentages in men than women.

Diets high in meat, sugary beverages, and alcohol can increase risk of gout, as does having obesity.

Read coverage in Healio (January 24, 2019): Only 33% of patients with gout receiving urate-lowering therapy